Jaunted - no

ScarJo Fetes Peace Prize Winner

egw — 2008-12-11T09:15:29-05:00

Got your tickets to the Nobel Peace Prize Concert tonight? Too bad! Emcee Scarlett Johansson, here rehearsing with Michael Caine probably won't miss you, though.

ScarJo, absent husband Ryan Reynolds, attended the committee banquet last night after rehearsing for the concert, which will feature Feist, Jason Mraz and Diana Ross among others. (Note: none of those people have won the Nobel Peace Prize.)

The actress was undoubtedly brought in to the Nobel Committee's circle to add some star wattage to the high-altruism, low-name-recognition ceremonies in Oslo. But to get to spend time with her former costar from "The Prestige" and masterclass actor Caine? We wouldn't pass that up either.

Don't forget if you're going to congratulate winner Martti Ahtisaari for his work mediating disuptes in Northern Ireland, Indonesia and Kosovo.

[Photo: Faded Youth Blog]

Dumb Tourist Travel: Norwegian Taxi Fare From Hell

amandak — 2008-08-18T09:00:12-05:00

We've done our fair share of ending up not exactly where we planned when traveling by bus or even taxi in foreign countries, but the Spanish couple who just spent a fortune on two long taxi rides in Norway have far exceeded our attempts.

Headed for Olden to re-join a cruise ship, the taxi driver misunderstood them--apparently--and took them to Halden instead, 380 miles away from their intended destination. They spent the night in a hotel there and only realized their mistake when no cruise-ship awaited them--and they taxied on to Olden. Round trip bill: €3,870 ($5,680) for a scenic trip between the northwest and the southeast of the country.

We wonder why the taxi driver didn't double check the destination, unless he deliberately tricked them; we also don't get why the Spanish couple didn't notice that the journey seemed to be taking a really, really long time. Then again, they were the cruising kind who usually just come ashore with a nametag, so perhaps their travel skills were lacking. In any case, they've given a couple of taxi drivers a big income boost.

Related Stories:
· $6,600 Cab Fare Lost In Translation [The Age]
· Norway Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Narisa]

British Woman Arrested with Coke-Filled Wig, Isn't Amy Winehouse

Hunter Walker — 2008-06-19T14:00:01-05:00

A British woman, who amazingly isn't Amy Winehouse, was arrested at Trondheim Airport in Norway wearing a large wig:

Concealing 2.2 pounds of cocaine glued to her head.

The bewigged coke carrier was coming off a flight from Copenhagen and had the drugs glued so firmly to her head that she had to be hospitalized to de-stick the contraband from her real hair, a local newspaper said.

Before Amy and others with outrageous dos get too excited about the coke-cloaking potential of their beehives, they should take note that this drug mule's downfall came directly as a result of her unusual hair. According to the AP, customs agents stopped the woman because they "suspected that she was wearing a wig."

Related Stories:
· Norway Arrests Woman for Carrying Cocaine in Wig [AP]
· Drug Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Original photo: The Superficial]

Eating Kebabs at the Far End of the Earth

amandak — 2008-04-03T10:06:56-05:00

Got a craving for a good kebab but you're somewhere on an island in northern Scandinavia near the Arctic Circle? No problem. The world's most northerly kebab shop is waiting to serve you.

An Iranian man named Kazem Ariaiwand set up his kebab shop in an old military van, on the island of Spitsbergen. He had been trying to get refugee status to live in Norway but it was refused--but up as far as Spitsbergen, the Arctic middle of nowhere, you don't need a residence permit. (Most people aren't crazy enough to want to live there.)

Tourists exploring the Svalbard archipelago, which Spitsbergen is a part of, might be very pleased to see Kazem's kebab stand. The main alternatives are seal and whale, which most tourists are hoping to see swimming--rather than on their plates.

Related Stories:
· World's Most Northerly Kebab Shop [Ananova]
· Get Your Qualified Kebab Here [Jaunted]
· Arctic Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Rita Willaert]

Introducing the Norwegian Trout Safari

djk — 2008-03-26T08:45:01-05:00

Bless those precious Scandinavians. Just when you think their grip on your heart has loosened and you're free to go about your business, they go and push a "troutsafari" on you, and you're back in the suction tunnel of love again.

A company in Norway is luring summer tourists to the ski town of Hemsedal, about 140 miles northwest of Oslo, with snorkeling expeditions in the Hemsil River. It's there, underwater, that you'll find some grade-A trout, the pride of its country! Seriously, they love trout in Norway.

Once you're done snorkeling, you can go dry off at the Skarsnuten Hotel, or simply head onwards...we read the town's otherwise a little sleepy, especially if you're a non-skier.

Related Stories:
· Troutsafari in Hemsil, Hemsedal [Norske Opplevelser]

Svalbard Prepping for Fun in the Sun

pbb — 2008-03-03T11:38:05-05:00

Last summer, we tracked down Svalbard, Norway, "The North Pole's nearest neighbor." But you've probably been putting your trip north of the Arctic Circle off, since there's literally no sunlight up there all winter long. But that'll change on March 8, when the sun will rise over the islands for the first time since October.

Glacier tours and cruises are the things to do around Svalbard. Arctic Adventures can hook you up with a trip into the wild. You can do a bit of movie set travel too, as "The Golden Compass" was filmed around the islands.

Svalbard is also home to that doomsday seed vault that's been all over the news lately. It's not exactly a tourist destination, but we've embedded a map with its coordinates after the jump, if you wanna check it out.

Norway Has a Capital of Culture, Too

amandak — 2008-01-21T10:00:01-05:00

Liverpool has really captured the early headlines as the 2008 Capital of Culture, but we shouldn't forget that there are two. Little-known Stavanger in Norway deserves some attention this year, too.

There are lots of reasons to visit Stavanger: It's full of wooden houses (and they're cute, too), it's rich (as a center for the oil industry--there's even an oil museum), there are lakes and fjords nearby and it's home to the oldest cathedral in Norway.

This year as part of the Capital of Culture reign, Stavanger is focusing on getting its citizens involved in cultural activities. This means that rather than the flashy Beatles-inspired shows of Liverpool, Stavanger has chosen the theme of an "Open Port" and will promote artist residencies that give opportunities for visitors and locals alike to connect personally with the arts. But they still had a big fireworks extravaganza to open the celebrations.

Interestingly, this might be the last Norwegian city that achieves the European Capital of Culture status: From now on, the capitals will be selected from European Union members. Norway's gone it alone and created a northern non-EU outpost, which will mean its cities are outcast from cultural capital chances. Oops.

Related Stories:
· Stavanger 2008 [Official Site]
· Welcome to the Other Capital of Culture [BBC]
· Liverpool's Big Year of Culture [Jaunted]

[Photo: Lord Strobey]